Oil dispenser



P 1955 J. WOLF 2,718,333

OIL DISPENSER Filed Nov. 8, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 38 INVENTOR JOHN WOLF VWM ATTORNEY J. WOLF OIL. DISPENSER Sept. 20, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 8, 1954 F IG 3 INVENTOR JOHN WOL F ATTORNEY United States Patent OIL DISPENSER John Wolf, Brooklyn, N. Y. Application November 8, 1954, Serial No. 467,516 3 Claims. (Cl. 222-83.5)

This invention relates to oil dispensers, and particularly relates to oil dispensers of the type commonly used in gas stations and the like, and is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 430,556, filed May 18, 1954.

As noted in the above application, a chief defect of the dispensers now in common use is that they require two hands for their operation. Since many of the present day automobiles are provided with hoods which are merely counterbalanced and either require a support or are required to be manually held up high enough to permit the mechanic to hold the oil dispenser over the oil inlet, the desirability of an oil dispenser, capable of being operated by one hand, is obvious. Also, as noted in the previous application, the one-handed operation of the dispenser permits the other hand to be kept free of oil and, therefore, to a great extent, prevents oil smudges on the hood or latch.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an oil dispenser which is capable of onehanded operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an oil dispenser which is capable of holding a can of oil in its unopened condition until inserted over the automobile oil inlet, after which, by one-handed operation, the can may be opened while the dispenser is still steadily held over the oil inlet.

Another object of the present invention is to provide one-handed operation of an oil-can opener and dispenser assembly which permits the other hand to be kept clear and available for other operations.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved oil dispenser of the character described, that is easily and economically produced, which is sturdy in construction, which consists of relatively few parts, and which is highly eflicient in operation.

With the above and related objects in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts, as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a device embodying the present invention, the device being illustrated with the oil-can in unopened condition;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in elevation and partly in setcion, of the device shown in Fig. 1, wherein the device is illustrated with the knife in oil-can puncturing position;

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawings wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a dispenser, generally designated 10, comprising a generally cylindrical housing 12, preferably constructed of sheet metal or brass, and provided with an open top defined by a downwardly sloping upper edge 14 which slopes downwardly from a high rim portion 16. The high rim portion 16 is provided with a laterally extending flange 18, as best seen in Fig. 2. The lower portion of the housing 12 comprises a downwardly sloping bottom wall 20 which combines with a cylindrically vertical section 22 of the housing to form a funnel portion. The funnel portion ends in a nozzle 24 which is adapted to be seated over the automobile oil inlet.

At the front portion of the housing 12 is integrally provided a vertical guide 26 in which is provided a vertical channel 28. A longitudinal slot 30 is formed in the guide member 26 and, on each side of the slot, is provided a bracket arm 32. Pivotally held between these bracket arms 32, as by a bolt 34 and nut 36, is a handle 38. The lower portion of the handle, around the pivot point, is aligned with the slot 30 and extends therethrough, this lower handle portion being enlarged and substantially circular, and being provided with teeth 40 on the periphery of the enlarged portion. The opposite end of the handle is provided with a finger engaging slot 42 for easier manipulation.

Vertically movable within the channel 28 is a bar 44. This bar 44 is provided at its upper portion with a pinrality of vertically-spaced openings 46. The teeth 40 on the handle 38 are adapted to individually engage within the openings 46 in the bar as the handle is rotated in one direction or the other around its pivot 34. This rotatable engagement of the teeth 40 with the openings 46 acts to move the bar 44 in one vertical direction or the other, the perforated bar and toothed handle acting, in effect, as a rack and pinion assembly.

At the bottom portion of the bar 44, it is narrowed and bent inwardly to form a shoulder 48; the bar then extends straight down as at 50 and is then bent inwardly again to form a shoulder 52. The bar then becomes straight to its end, as at 54. This bottom portion, including the parts 48-54, extends out of the channel 28 in a radially inward direction relative to the housing, and at its end section 54 it is provided with a knife 56. This knife 56 is of generally conical shape at its lower portion and then curves inwardly from a broad top to an upwardly extending point 58. The shape of the point is best shown in Fig. 4.

Adapted to be seated within the housing 12 is an oilcan 60. This oil-can is inserted under the flange 18 and allowed to seat on the shoulder 62 formed at the junction of the cylindrical portion of the housing and the bottom wall 20. This is its position as shown in Fig. 1. It can be inserted with one hand while the other hand holds the housing by handle 38. The assembly is then carried over to the automobile and the hood may be raised and supported by one hand, while the other, by holding the bandle, inserts the nozzle 24 over the oil inlet. Then, while still holding the handle, it may be pulled down, thereby rotating its toothed bottom portion in a clockwise direction and causing the bar 44 to be lifted. As the bar moves upwardly, it carries the knife along with it and causes the knife to puncture the bottom of the oil-can. The knife is so shaped that it not only punctures the can but bends the punctured part upwardly and out of the way to permit the easy escape of the oil therein.

As shown in Fig. 3, when the knife has fully punctured the bottom of the can, the shoulder 52 on the bar 44 acts to support the bottom rim of the can so that the can cannot slip and cause the knife to clog the punctured opening. Counterclockwise rotation of the toothed handle portion permits the knife to be extracted from the punctured oil-can.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, such description is intended as being illustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variously embodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

The invention claimed is:

1. An oil-can dispensing unit comprising a cylindrical housing, one end of said housing being open and the other end being provided with a funnel, said open end being downwardly inclined, in cross-section, from a high rear portion to a lower front portion, a flange extending radially inward from the top of said high rear portion, a vertical guide member formed on said front portion, a vertical channel in said guide member, a vertical slot in said guide member opening into said channel, a bracket bridging said slot, a handle pivoted to said bracket, teeth on the periphery of the end portion of said handle connected to said bracket, said teeth adapted to extend into said slot, a notched bar movable in said channel, said teeth being adapted to rotatably engage the notches in said bar, and a knife fixed to the lower end of said bar within said housing.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein that portion of said bar to which said knife is fixed is off-set radially inwardly relative to said housing, and a shoulder on said bar adjacent said knife.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the junction of said cylindrical housing and said funnel provides a seat adapted to support an oil-can within said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,960,152 Grundhand et a1 May 22, 1934 1,970,573 Nicholls Aug. 21, 1934 2,036,746 Farrar Apr. 7, 1936 2,350,205 Warfield May 30, 1944 

